Combined undergarment and abdominal support



Dec. 10, 1935. 1. ROSENFELD COMBINED UNDERGARMENT AND ABDOMINAL SUPPORT Filed April 7, 1934 INVENTOR- IsmoR ROSENFELD fiyg 044" 4 W ATTORNEYS.

Patented l 10, 1935 COIVIBINED UNDERGARMENT AND ABDOMINAL SUPPORT llsidor Boseni'eld, New York, N. Y.

Application April 7, 193%, Serial No. 719,498

1 Claim.

My invention relates to combined undergararound the body of the wearer and the end edges ments and abdominal supporters, and particularly to supports embodied in undergarments, such as the corset, corselette, girdle, surgical belt and 6 surgical corset, etc.

Originally, undergarments of the corsets and corselette type were designed and intended mainly to give shape to the body of the wearer in accordance with the dictates of fashion, and only it incidentally to provide support therefor. To a,

very great extent, however, this secondary purpose has been completely lost sight of, and it is an object of my invention, therefore, to provide an undergarment for supporting the body of the wearer and particularly the abdominal regions thereof.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a device or the character specified which will not only support the abdominal regions, but also serve to mold and shape same.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character specified which will support and mold the abdominal regions without placing same under unduly artificial or painfully restrictive stresses.

Further objects or my invention will in part be apparent, and in part be pointed out hereinbelow.

In the drawing annexed hereto for illustrative purposes only, 1 is a perspective of one form of device (corselette) constructed according to and embodying my said invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with the normal condition of the abdominal regions shown 35 in outline;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the front central section; and

Fig. 4 is a section thereof on the line 3-41 of Fig. 3, similarly enlarged. The corselette shown in the drawlngthe device of my invention is being shown embodied in this type of undergarment merely for illustrative purposes only, and because the corselette is one of the most common of all feminine undergarmentscomprises side, front, back and brassiere portions. Broadly speaking, this is conventional, since all these portions, or equivalents thereof, are contained within every corselette, but it is in the particular construction and arrangement of certain portion thereof in the device of my invention that I depart from the conventional and achieve results not attainable by those devices now in common use.

Corselette it is of the wrap-around type; that 55 is, when being put on, the garment is wrapped thereof fastened in the rear, usually by laces, although other fastening means may be employed, and the device comprises bust support, or brassiere portion, I2, held in place on the body l4 5 of the wearer by shoulder straps l6 fitting over the shoulders. Support I2 extends entirely across the front of the body, from under one armpit to the other, and at the side edges l8 thereof is secured to back portions 20. Body portion 22 also extends entirely across the front of the body from under one armpit to the other, and is secured by its upper edge 2t to the lower edge of bust support l2, and at the side edge 26 thereof to back 20, just below edge 58. Body 22 extends from the bust support I12 downwardly to just below the abdomen, the lower edge 28 of said body portion 22 following a substantial U-shaped curve, the prongs flaring upwardly and outwardly to exaggerate the U -ourvature (see Fig. 3).

A pair of downwardly depending front portions Bil are secured to body 22 at the lower sides of edge 28, as at St, and a pair of side portions 332 are secured to said body 22 at the upper sides of edge 28 as at 33. The front portions 36 are 35 designed to fit over and around the front of the thigh, and the side portions fit over the hip and side of the thigh. A wedge-shaped space between the front and side portions 30 and 32 is filled by portion 36 of elastic material, which is secured to 30 the spaced apart edges of said portions.

A number of back portions 2@ are secured to each other, as at 2! (Fig. 2), to the device, at each side thereof; to bust support l2, as at it; to body portion 22, as at 26; and to side portion 32, as at 36, and the endmost of said back portions on each side are laced together, in the rear (not shown) to fasten the corselette onto the body of the wearer.

Body portion 22 is composed of an originally 40 fiat blank of fabric 38 considerably wider at the bottom than at the top. A number of darts to are cut in each lateral side of the blank. Each dart constitutes the removal of a substantially wedge-shaped portion of material from the side of the strip, forming a strap t2, and the darts are of such size that the lowermost strap 52 is longer than the one immediately above it. As in Fig. 3, the darts extend inwardly but about one-third of the width of the blank, and when the proximate edges of the straps are sewed together, as at M, Figs. 3 and 4, restricting or gathering in the sides of the blank, a. pocket-recess 66 is formed. For convenience, I shall refer to this process 55 that of removing darts and sewing the strap edges together-as puckering.-

To supplement pocket 46 in its supporting action, as will be explained in detail below, I provide a sub-body member I laterally coextensive in width with said pocket, but not necessarily as long, composed of alternating strips III of elastic material between strips 52 of nonelastic fabric material. As a unitary whole, therefore, this member 48 is horizontally expansible. Member 48 is secured to the inside of portion 22 along the coextensive side and lower edges thereof, as at 54 and 56 respectively. The words laterally is extensive are used by me, in this description of my device, and in the appended claim, to describe the relations between body member 22 and sub-body member 48. Both are of the same width though or different length and are secured together by their side and bottom edges. Normally, therefore, they will each extend across from side to side of the device,

The device operates in a two-step manner. When same is put on, member 48 first comes into contact with the prolapsed abdominal regions, and as the lacings on the garment are pulled tighter and tighter, the abdomen is lifted inwardly. At the same time, member 48 expands laterally, until when the lacing is completed the body portion 22 is contacted by the sub-body member. Body portion 22 is not expansible, and the pocket 26 therein receives and supports the abdominal regions in the inwardly lifted position thereof.

My device is adapted, and particularly fitted,

for those women with prolapsed abdominal regions (see dot-and-dash line, Fig. 2). This particular condition is particularly prevalent in larger women and is a constant source of difliculty and annoyance. With my improved undergarment support of such character is given to the prolapsed regions as to do away with any and all need for the various types of abdominal belts usually used together with the usual type of undergarment.

The benefits derived from use of my device are 5 obvious.- First and foremost, the pocket into which the prolapsed and protruding abdominal regions are received provides sure, adequate and comfortable support therefor. Secondly, the inner, expansible member 48, in addition .to operating as a pocket reini'orcer, imparts some degree of molding to the body. The device is light, as all the parts thereof, body portion, front, side, back and brassire portions, are 01' fabric material. The elastic portions 50 and are also fabric interwoven, and add only slightly to the weight oi! the garment as a whole. No straps, belts, buckles, etc. are needed with my device, and with same, not only is a safe, sure and emcient support provided, but some definite degree of molding or shaping is imparted to the body of the wearer.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A device of the character described comprising a body member, laterally expansible means on the inner side of said body member for elevating and placing the abdominal regions to be supported under restrictive stresses, and means on and part of said body member proper comprising a receptacle integral with said body member for receiving and securing inside said receptacle said abdominal regions in the elevated and supported position, the side portions or said body member being puckered to define the limits of said last named means, said inner member being attached to said body member along its side and bottom ISIDOR ROSENFELD.

. edges. 

